


i walk through flame to feel your warmth

by BuddysImpala



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: AU, Angst, Born of Fire, Born of Fire PT, Born of Ice, Born of Ice Phillip, Circus, Fluff, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Phillip just wants to be loved, angst & fluff, barlyle - Freeform, fire & ice, fire & ice au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:55:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25230496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddysImpala/pseuds/BuddysImpala
Summary: He is fire.He is ice.The touch of him burns his hands like snow,But warms his heart like gold.A collection of prompts for the TGS Bingo challenge.
Relationships: P. T. Barnum/Phillip Carlyle
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30
Collections: TGS Bingo, warmth





	1. spark

**Author's Note:**

> I just started a new online job this past week! So, I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to do every single Bingo challenge — probably not — but JUST IN CASE, I’m writing these prompts in a way that you can read them like stand-alone, but they all share a common theme.
> 
> This was not meant to become a collection of Fire & Ice prompts, but I absolutely could not write this prompt normally, apparently. Once I switched to the Fire & Ice theme, the words materialized like magic.
> 
> Enjoy!

** title: spark **

** prompt: odd one out **

** rating: T **

** warnings: internalized homophobia, period-typical homophobia  **

* * *

The new circus hire doesn’t talk much.

Phineas knows the man can talk, had personally seen him sing his heart out during Phineas’s recruitment. He imagined the man had quite the vocabulary — Phillip Carlyle was a playwright, after all, one that Phineas had _selflessly_ saved from the workings of the stuffy, upper-class life.

Of course, many of those Born of Ice are used to the “stuffy, upper-class” lifestyle, but the idea made Phineas scoff. Untamable flame licked in his veins. He can’t imagine being restrained as those Of Ice often were.

Thing is, Phillip had agreed to go with Phineas. That in itself is unusual. But, the man doesn’t talk to anyone in the troupe. Anne, maybe, sometimes — but only if she speaks to him first. He never approaches her.

So it is unsurprising to Phineas when he suggests partnered rehearsals — they’ve added new stunts to their show and Phineas would prefer to have a buddy system to heighten safety — and Phillip quickly becomes the odd man out.

Anne and W.D., two siblings of normal ability, have partnered together, naturally. Lettie, of fire, and Constantine, of fire. Charles, of fire, and the Irish Giant. Other members of the troupe pair up as such.

Everyone has a partner. So that leaves—

“Guess you’re stuck with me,” Phineas beams.

Phillip’s eyes widen, but he nods — a fractional bob of his head, but it’s there — and they practice off on their own in a little corner. Phillip seems to do better when they aren’t surrounded by a crowd.

Phineas is in the middle of attempting to teach Phillip some of the new choreography, subconsciously noting that he can feel Phillip’s chill even through the man’s long sleeves, when Phillip stills. He shakes his head, mutters something that Phineas can’t hear, backs up against the wall.

Distressed black ice creeps up the wall like spiderwebs. Phillip takes no notice.

“Phillip?” Phineas is hesitant. Unsure of whether he should follow or stay put. 

Phillip shakes his head again. “I’m sorry, Mr. Barnum. I can’t do this.”

He turns, as if to bolt, when Phineas grabs his arm. His grip isn’t tight, but they both gasp at the contact. It’s enough to still Phillip, who doesn’t meet the ringmaster’s eyes.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” Phineas quietly orders.

Phillip says nothing. His shoulders slump.

“Do you regret joining me, Phil?”

He didn’t much want to let Phillip quit. But if the boy was truly unhappy—

“No,” Phillip whispers.

“Then what—“

“Please... let me go.”

Phineas hesitates. A few seconds pass, nothing happens. Then he releases Phillip’s arm. Heat returns to the palm of his hand, the sudden sharp burn making him gasp.

Phillip hurries away, head ducked low, melting footprints left in his wake, and Phineas is left to practice alone.

*

Phillip is late the next day. Phineas begins to think he isn’t going to show up, that maybe he did quit after all.

Twenty minutes into the preparation for their morning show, to be held within the next hour, Phillip finally arrives. There aren’t many of those born Of Ice around the circus — most of the higher society would rather be caught dead than have any involvement with Phineas whatsoever — so Phineas knows, when he feels the sudden chill, that Phillip has decided to make an appearance.

He should be angry. Should berate Phillip for running late, barely a week into being hired, but he doesn’t. Instead, he simply smiles — it’s tight-lipped, to be sure, but it’s there — and thanks Phillip for coming.

His frustration flares, though, when Phillip still doesn’t put any effort into his rehearsal.

“Why did you bother coming back?” he snaps without thinking. He’s not a man easy to anger, but he is fire-blooded. Despite their own personal temperaments, those Born of Fire are generally known to become more easily frustrated.

Phillip flinches and steps back. “Pardon?”

“You‘ve it quite clear you don’t want to be here. So, why did you come back? Why did you say yes in the goddamned first place?”

Phineas forces air into his lungs after his rant. He needs to calm down, he knows, but it’s hard. Especially so when he’s stood here watching Phillip, who still won’t respond to him.

“Well?!”

As with yesterday, Phillip won’t meet Phineas’s eyes. He looks to the floor as he mumbles, “I don’t... deserve to be here. I’m... unnatural.”

“Well goddamn, Phillip, we’re all unnatural. People of fire or ice already stem from different mutations. Add to the fact that I run a goddamned circus filled with people who’ve been deemed even bigger freaks by the rest of freak-show society — we’re literally as unnatural as you can possibly get.”

“No,” Phillip shakes his head, “No, it’s... different. I’m not... even Fire and Ice would look down on me. I’m...”

He trails off, doesn’t finish his thought. Phineas, who’s started to calm down some, is alarmed to see tears starting to crystallize in his eyes.

“Phillip,” he urges, much gentler tone than before, “It’s all right. Whatever it is — you can tell me.”

A long silence stretches on.

Finally, Phillip looks up at him. Phineas isn’t sure if he realizes he’s crying, crystal tears rolling down his cheeks. Phineas reaches out to brush the tears away.

Phillip reaches up on tip-toe and kisses him.

At first, Phineas’s brain doesn’t register the contact. Phillip’s mouth on his, lips soft and... and cold. He’s never kissed anyone Of Ice before. The sudden chill makes him gasp.

Alarmed, misunderstanding the gasp, Phillip pulls away. His expression crumples and he hurries out in a single breath, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I—“

Phineas kisses him again.

Phillip makes a noise, like a whimper, but doesn’t break away again. He is tense and stiff at first, but then Phineas’s hands are on him, holding him, holding him close, and he starts to relax. Phineas feels and tastes like fire, touch scorching, but then—

Then... something changes. They both gasp, both feeling it. The intense heat and chill evaporate, melt together, creating...

Creating something that is... warm.

Phillip reaches up, clings to Phineas. He has never in his life felt warmth before. He holds Phineas close for as long as he can, until the older man is chuckling, forcing him to break the kiss.

“Barnum,” Phillip breathes.

Phineas chuckles, a little breathless. “I think at this point, Phillip, you can call me Phin.”

Phillip’s eyes widen. “Phin, I— That was—“

“Yeah,” Phineas mumbles, smiling, suddenly a little shy himself, “I know.”

“What... was that?”

“I think,” Phineas reaches for Phillip’s hand, intertwining their fingers, “that was the feeling of Fire and Ice balancing each other out.”

Phillip gulps and looks down at their joined hands. “I think... I think I liked that a lot.”

“Yeah,” Phineas smiles wider now, though his tone is just as soft.

“Me, too.”


	2. melt

**title: melt**

**prompt: confetti**

**rating: T**

**warnings: none**

* * *

It comes as a surprise to Phineas when he learns Phillip’s birthday is in just a few days.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks, incredulous.

Phillip merely shrugs, doesn’t meet Phineas’s eyes. “Birthdays were never a big event in my home. My parents... aren’t exactly the celebratory type.”

Phineas cradles Phillip’s face and gently lifts his chin. The sharp contrast of temperature is still strange to them both, and their gasps are identical. Phineas looks Phillip in the eye. A fire crackles behind Phineas’s own hazel eyes, and it takes Phillip’s breath away.

“Well, lucky for you, I am,” Phineas pledges. A slow grin spreads across his face.

“Phin, you don’t have—“

“But, I want to.”

Phillip is silenced by Phineas’s lips before he can protest. An increasingly familiar warmth builds between them, and Phillip makes a soft noise in his throat.

Phineas is alight with excitement when they pull away.

“This’ll be the best birthday you’ve ever had.”

*

“Happy birthday, Phillip!”

The troupe.

And... confetti.

Confetti everywhere.

Phillip gasps when Phineas uncovers his eyes. Phineas rests his chin on Phillip’s shoulder, and turns to kiss Phillip’s ear as he mumbles, “Do you like it?”

A soft sigh escapes Phillip’s lips and he turns to face the man. A genuine smile pulls at his mouth. “I should have expected nothing less from you.”

Confetti, streamers, balloons. It seems not an inch of space within the circus has been left untouched, and various members of the troupe stand together around a small Everest of presents. The twins are in various stages of making balloon animals.

As much as he loves Phineas (for his effort, of course, the effort he put into all of this), Phillip begins to feel a little overwhelmed and his breath starts to come out in short little puffs of ice.

“Hey,” Phineas squeezes Phillip’s shoulder, runs his hand down Phillip’s arm, “You all right?”

Phillip turns to Phineas, panicked. His fingertips have started to ice over, and frost dusts in his hair.

“Phineas, I — I don’t deserve—“

“None of that,” Phineas gently turns Phillip face him. As soon as Phineas touches him, the frost in his hair melts, “You deserve everything, Phillip.”

“But—“

“I may not know everything about your parents yet,” Phineas starts. Fire burns behind his eyes, more heated this time, flame growing the more passionate he gets, “but, I do know enough to assume that they probably never treated you as you deserve to be treated. You deserve this, Phillip. You deserve a party. You are worthy.”

Phillip chokes up. He closes his eyes, tries to remember to breathe evenly. Phineas pulls him into his shoulder, and he can feel tears prick behind closed eyelids.

No. Not now. Phineas has already seen him cry more than enough.

Looking up, Phillip pulls Phineas down to meet his lips. Phineas hums against his mouth, holds him tight, hand a pleasant burn against his back.

“Thank you,” Phillip mumbles.

“Do you believe me now?” Phineas mumbles, too low for the rest of the troupe to hear.

“Not... not yet. But,” he pauses, gulps, “I’ll try.”

“That’s a start,” Phineas beams.

They turn back to the troupe, and the circus acts come alive like that exchange never happened. Anne immediately comes up to Phillip and grabs his hands, unflinching at the chill.

“Presents or cake first?” she asks.

“Um...” Phillip falters. Looks back at Phineas.

“I think he wants the cake first!” Phineas declares.

Shyly, Phillip nods.

Anne smiles like the sun and kisses his cheek. She grabs his hand, leads him to a table where a dessert in the shape of a top hat awaits.

“Cake it is!”

Phillip looks back at Phineas, who smiles reassuringly back at him. 

“Happy 28th, Phillip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment if you wanna 😭


End file.
